Monthly Archives: November 2012

On Tuesday, November 27, President Obama signed into law HR 2606, the New York City Natural Gas Supply Enhancement Act, which authorizes the construction of the Rockaway Lateral pipeline project in Gateway National Recreation Area – the very area that has just been devastated by Hurricane Sandy.

The Rockaway pipeline will carry fracked gas from the Marcellus Shale. Supporters of the Rockaway pipeline tout gas as “clean energy,” but this is a lie.

Natural gas is by far the greatest source of methane emissions in the United States today. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is at least 21 times more potent than CO2. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, and this is what is causing climate change.

For all his post-Sandy talk about climate change, by signing HR 2606 into law President Obama has shown that he is willing to sell our future to the fossil fuel industry. He is passing the true cost of climate change – our water, our air, our soil, our very future on this planet – onto our children and grandchildren.

The politicians are in criminal collusion with Big Oil. They have consistently refused to take the leadership on climate change. Time is running out. We must become the leaders we’ve been waiting for. Our life on this planet depends on it.

Last Wednesday, President Obama declared that he was prepared to have a national conversation about climate change. Now’s the time to take him up on this. HR 2606 is on his desk. We have one more chance to make our voices heard.

Go to the White House website and comment on this bill. Urge President Obama to veto HR 2606. Let him know what a dreadful idea this is – a high-pressure gas pipeline in the very area that has just been devastated by Hurricane Sandy! Then pass this link to others in your social network.

Over 6,000 people have signed petitions to stop HR 2606. We just mailed in an additional 1,100 petitions. You may read CARP’s letter to the president here.

Two and a half weeks ago, Hurricane Sandy hit the Rockaways full-force, with storm surges reaching as high as 14 feet. Over a hundred homes burned to the ground in Breezy Point. Power was knocked out, homes were flooded, people lost their lives.

Yesterday, Congress delivered a second blow to the Rockaways: shortly after noon, the House passed HR 2606. This is the final legislative step allowing the construction of a high-pressure gas pipeline that will carry fracked gas through Gateway National Park — the very part of our city that has been utterly devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Putting a gas pipeline and regulating station in this area is insane. Yet not a single person in Congress stood up to say no. Not a single person in Congress spoke out to defend nature and the people from this assault by Big Gas.

Our good friends and allies at Occupy the Pipeline have raised our spirits with this amazing video. Follow their lead. Make your voice heard. Call President Obama today at 202-456-1111. Give him this message loud and clear.

Stop the pipeline! Kill the bill! Veto HR 2606!

We do not have time to wait on our so-called leaders. We must become the leaders of this struggle. We must stop fracking, we must stop climate change, and we will stop this pipeline.

The House is scheduled to vote on HR 2606 this week. This bill authorizes the construction of the Rockaway pipeline — in the exact area that has just been devastated by Hurricane Sandy. We need to stop this bill now!

Tell your representative why HR 2606 is a terrible idea. Here are some of the reasons why we must stop this pipeline.

“It’s complete insanity to build a high-pressure gas pipeline and metering station in an area that has just been destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, and will REGULARLY experience such events, or worse, in the decades to come. We don’t need this gas — we need to stop climate change and switch to renewables.”

“This bill permits construction of a gas pipeline in a national park – right next to a wildlife refuge that is home to a dozen endangered and threatened species; right under a public beach that is used by thousands of New Yorkers every year; and right by the largest community garden on the East Coast.”

“In the wake of the Hurricane Sandy stopping this bill is imperative. The bill authorizes construction of a high-pressure gas pipeline and metering station in an area that has just experienced major flooding and fire – and will do so again as the oceans rise because of climate change. Thousands of lives could be jeopardized in the event of another hurricane or storm surge.”

Forward this call to all of your contacts and lists. Post it on your Facebook page. Send a twitter message. Ask friends and family in every state to call and oppose this bill. (The US Congressional Twitter Address list is here. Scroll down to find your state reps.)